The Celtic Wisdom Tarot
The Celtic Wisdom Tarot is an out-of-print deck first published in 1999. Caitlín Matthews wrote the book, and Olivia Raynor illustrated the cards. Caitlín has written numerous books, including guidebooks for other decks, one or two of which are still in print. At the time of this review, second-hand copies of the Celtic Wisdom Tarot are available for around £50 on eBay, which is a reasonable price for an out-of-print deck.
I’ve had this deck for years—since not long after its release. I mostly used it for personal readings, especially around the solstices. I didn’t love the art, but my interest in Celtic themes drew me in. The guidebook is pretty good and has a few excellent card layouts. I still use the ‘relationship spread’ because it’s so useful.
The major arcana are all renamed, and I like some more than others. I love II. The Guardian as a replacement for The High Priestess. I think it emphasises the protective element of the card that is often overlooked. Often when this card appears in a reading, we’re being asked to defend an aspect of self that is central to maintaining autonomy. V. The Rememberer seems an odd choice for The Hierophant, but I recall being particularly fond of the SOUL-WISDOM section in the guidebook. “The Rememberer of Lore transmits the wisdom of traditions by which we all live. The essential lore that we need to keep ever before us is sung by the bard. What song is guiding you at this time?” The Hierophant can suggest that we are receiving spiritual guidance from a higher power or that we need spiritual counsel. As someone who loves music, I found it helpful to be reminded that the songs that capture our attention are generally symbolic because they’re hitting a nerve. It often takes the conscious mind a while to understand what the subconscious is trying to communicate. VII. The Mover (The Chariot) is an interesting card. Rather than being in a chariot, a woman is sitting calmly with a horse on either side of her. The horses face each other, and the way her hands are placed on top of the horses suggests she has control. The imagery suggests that self-control and discipline are needed before action is taken.
IX. The Counselor is a good replacement name for The Hermit, but I do question why so many of the men in the deck are half bald. The ‘soul-wisdom’ section at the bottom of each card description is definitely my favourite part of the guidebook. For The Counselor, it says, “The Counselor of Truth is a touchpoint of assurance and validation, reminding us that the three candles that illuminate every darkness are truth, nature, and knowledge. What seeks to be born in the silence?”
XIII. The Liberator shows Sheila na Gig. I have always seen her as a life-giver, rather than symbolic of death or the Death card. The book’s description fits with the traditional meaning of the card, but the image in this context doesn’t work for me. That being said, the card isn’t out of place in the deck as a whole. Although, it’s certainly one of the more obvious examples of a lack of harmony between the art and the guidebook.
The Minor Arcana
The minor arcana are structured as normal, but with different names.
Wands — Skill
Pentacles — Knowledge
Cups — Art
Swords — Battle
Each number has an associated word 1. Augury, 2. Dialogue, 3. Courtship, 4. Judgment, 5. Combat, 6. Foundation, 7. Adventure, 8. Elopement, 9. Revelation, 10. Quest.
And finally, the court cards are: Page — Woman, Knight — Warrior. Queen and King remain the same.
I have mixed feelings about the card names because they divert too far from traditional tarot at times. As a system on its own, it works well enough, but it’s something to bear in mind. The names for each number don’t always make sense to me, and the guidebook simply says the number cards are based on the storytelling genres of Celtic seanachies. This doesn’t really tell us how the actual number came to be named as it did. I can understand 1. Augury, and I have seen other systems refer to 5 as a number of conflict, but I can’t remember exactly where. I wonder why 6. Foundation, when the word foundation feels like it should be connected to earlier stages. I don’t understand why 8. Elopement because the word is primarily associated with running away to get married. I can’t see how it fits in the context of the number eight in the minor arcana. 10. Quest, could also be easily used for 1. So, yeah, mixed feelings.
The guidebook makes extensive use of aspects of Celtic myth, but the numbers and court cards of a suit don’t stick to just one myth — this means there isn’t a sense of continuity when looking through the numbered cards of a suit.
Noteable Art cards include 5. Combat of Art (Five of Cups): I love the artwork on this card. It’s a little more abstract than the rest of the deck, but I really like the colours and movement. The SOUL-WISDOM gives helpful advice for the Five of Cups, “Once we go on the offensive, we can damage or lose valuable relationships and friendships. What can be saved from your situation now?”
7. Adventure of Art (Seven of Cups) has lovely shades of blue and green. Again, it’s the SOUL-WISDOM question that really helps to bring the core issue of the card into focus. “What is illusory and what is symbolically true here?"
In the suit of Knowledge, my favourites are two of the court cards. Woman of Knowledge (Page of Pentacles) shows a young woman kneeling over a plant. The guidebook stresses the need for patience and speaks of calm over chaos. But it’s the Queen of Knowledge I liked the best because I love any and all references to weaving. An old woman sits weaving but she could easily be playing a harp with the angle of the loom and the positioning of her hands. The SOUL-WISDOM says, “Danu/Dôn weaves the lineages and fates of her children on her starry loom, bestowing her wealth upon those able to receive. She shows us how to value our inherited gifts while not becoming tangled up in ancestral bequests and expectations. Who or what is being woven into this situation?” The card links up to the aspect of the Queen of Pentacles that encourages following tradition in a pragmatic or practical sense.
In the suit of Battle, there are a couple of decent cards. I am split with 3. Courtship of Battle because the myth given in the book talks about how the woman was bathing and was entrapped into becoming the wife of the man. I love complex myths, and I understand we need to look at context and other things — but to use a snapshot for a difficult card doesn’t really help anyone. The guidebook card meaning is absolutely fine, and the SOUL-WISDOM is also good. “Nessa shows there can be meaningful life after extremes of suffering. What sorrow or hurt is festering in your heart?” It’s a good statement and question for the Three of Swords, but it does no justice to any Celtic wisdom that can be found in the story it briefly references.
In 7. Adventure of Battle, we have two men playing a game of chess or draughts; I can see the black and white board, but not the pieces. The purist in me wonders why the artist didn’t draw a Fidchell board, and yes, I actually went to Google to see whether the Celts played chess. The answer was no, they did not, and then I nearly fell down a rabbit hole. Fidchell was obviously a board game the Celts played, but this isn’t the place for a history lesson. Factualities aside, the card imagery suggests that strategy could be important, and there may also be the potential for cheating.
9. Revelation of Battle is a sad-looking card that shows a woman mourning the loss of a man who has been fatally wounded. It seems an extreme choice for the equivalent of the Nine of Swords. The SOUL-WISDOM says, “Our anxiety about the future and our need for control can keep us confined in restrictive patterns of behaviour. In your present predicament, where are the freedoms and alternatives?” Considering the image, the text seems overly harsh, but in relation to the traditional meaning of the card, it works very well.
3. Courtship of Skill is a lovely-looking card that shows a young couple holding hands on a shoreline with lion-face sun behind them in the sky. As the equivalent of the occasionally problematic Three of Wands, it offers a refreshing perspective. SOUL-WISDOM: We hone our abilities by overcoming obstacles with skill and accepting assistance, so that we can be worthy to court and claim the goal that has motivated our efforts. What achievement lies within your sights? What help is being offered to you? While it may further complicate the traditional meaning of the card, it at least gives a clear interpretation of its meaning within this particular deck.
And lastly, 5. Combat of Skill (Five of Wands) is a strange card, and in a way, it reminds me of the more modern interpretations of the Five of Pentacles. A hag sits alone, and in the distance, we see a group of men sitting around a fire. The myth for the card tells us a story of an old hag guarding a well, and that she demanded a kiss to grant access to its water. Only one man was brave enough. As he kissed her, she turned into a beautiful goddess who then bestowed blessings on him and his descendants. The SOUL-WISDOM says, “Within every dispute there is a solution, if we can set aside our personal point of view and see the whole overview. What is the kernel of truth and balance within your present dilemma?” The Five of Wands can be a challenging card to interpret, but here it seems to be suggested that we may be better off taking one for the team.
Final Thoughts
One of the blessings of a good myth or story is that it can take you on a journey with a beginning, a destination, and a few life lessons thrown in along the way. While the guidebook does make use of Celtic myths, it doesn’t give us enough details of the stories. It doesn’t approach the myths from a psychoanalytic viewpoint either. Because of this, there are limits to how the deck can be used. The Celtic Wisdom Tarot is, however, a reliable ally when trying to reorganise yourself or find yourself. It’s probably not the best deck to help work out where you’re actually going unless you are capable of being honest with yourself. The questions posed at the end of each card are extremely useful, and these could work well if used within a diary format — being able to read back through your responses to specific questions at a later date can reveal hidden blocks and show you when and where you slip into denial.
A close review of the Celtic Wisdom Tarot highlights that the deck is far from perfect, but it is entirely functional as a system to navigate periods of confusion. I haven’t picked it up in a long time, but it came to mind that it could be useful for a friend. Having looked at it again before handing it over, it didn’t take me long to remember why I appreciated what it had to offer. Its strength lies in how it gets you to ask better questions while gently guiding you to see the bigger picture. I have better decks for hardcore self-development work, but the Celtic Wisdom Tarot is a nice little bridge between the everyday world and the inner life.
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